Square 1/2
Chapter 7: "Here's Xian-pu, Airen!"
A Ranma 1/2 Fanfiction presented by Ralf Martin
The sun had started to set over the skyline of Nerima. The Tendo residence and adjacent dojo was beginning to sink into the dark of night. It wasn't nearly as dark though as the mood between the people gathered in the yard outside. Two young men were facing off against each other as they got ready for an all important duel. One had a man of proud dignity by his side, long-haired and sporting a moustache that garnished his rugged face. The older man helped the younger one to prepare and offered some last minute tips and encouragements.
By the other boy's side was one of the daughters of the house by the name of Akane, wearinga pained expression on her face.
"Why?" she asked Ranma simply but with enough frustration to make him wince in sympathy. "How can he do something like that?"
The boy gently put his hands on the arms she held crossed in front of her chest and started to stroke them lightly.
"Force of habit, I guess," he replied in an apologetic tone. "Probably shouldn't have put it so bluntly how I feel about ya. Might be he panicked."
But then his face returned to a more serious expression and his voice lost the compassion.
"Listen, I need you to watch out when Ryoga starts to throw his bandanas at me. Don't get hit and don't let them hit your sisters. Those things cut like a razor." With that he nodded towards the other two Tendo girls that made up the audience. "Same goes for that umbrella of his. Only that thing is also heavy as f*ck..."
The girl nodded to signal that she had understood. Then she quickly grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.
"For luck," she explained once she let go of him again.
He looked at her strangely as if he was fighting an inner battle. A silent scuffle between his pride and a much warmer emotion. Then his head shot forward and he answered her kiss with a kiss of his own.
"Can't have too much luck," he reasoned after he was done, a roguish smile plastered on his face. "Even if I'm only going against some small fry."
Then he turned and kept that same smile on his face, knowing full well how the other boy would be aggravated by it.
"Ready when ya ready," he announced to his opponent.
"I'm always ready," Ryoga replied angrily as he shot forward to meet him. "No running away from this fight, coward!"
"What can I say?" Ranma remarked as he dodged the attack. "I'm still so surprised to see ya show up for a fight without making me wait for days."
"It was only three days!" the thus accused boy retorted with indignation and another attack. "And then you ran off."
Snaking between the strikes of his opponents with an ease like normal people might step past something nasty on the ground, Ranma scoffed at the accusation.
"More like pop dragged me out of there. Can't say I blame him for getting impatient. What took ya so long anyway?"
"I was trying to get there on time!" Ryoga screamed as he grabbed his mighty umbrella and set out to bludgeon his elusive opponent. Though once again the only damage dealt was to the ground. "I ran! I swam! I travelled! And when I finally made it to the duel site who wasn't there? You! You coward!"
"Ya do realize that usually the one not showing up on time loses by default?" Ranma inquired as he patted a bit of soil from his shoulders. Pretty much the only thing that had connected with him yet. "So by rights there was no more duel to run away from. Just saying."
"Oh, so now you try to worm your way out of this with nitpicking?" the boy busily using his umbrella for landscaping demanded to know. "I've been through hell just because you decided to run off. There is no other way to make up for my suffering than to show you the same hell. I'll take all of your happiness and make it mine..!"
Suddenly Ryoga's umbrella was stopped and with nothing but a finger of Ranma's outstretched hand. The boy with the bandana looked on in surprise, wondering where Ranma had gotten the strength for that feat. Soun Tendo knew that move. He knew it all too well. And by the expression on his face it was no good news for him that the pigtailed boy also knew it. Let alone was capable enough to perform it.
"Akane happens to be my happiness," Ranma declared solemnly. "Ya gonna take her away? Not in this life, buddy!"
One could hear Kasumi sigh in the background, a hopeless romantic getting her favourite treat. Nabiki one could hear snicker. That girl's view of the world would hardly ever get compromised by confessions of this kind.
Akane though, now that girl Ranma could actually feel. She was a source of power and warmth at the edge of his perception. Her mere presence filled him with emotions of comfort and reassurance even in the heat of battle. Plus one or two other choice emotions that you better not mention in front of the family.
"Besides," Ranma continued as he homed in on the source of those particular feelings, "the final choice will always be Akane's. Not yours, not her father's an' not mine either!"
There was a pause after that statement, with Ranma's intense gaze daring his opponent to contradict him. Pressured like that, Ryoga found no quick reply that could twist the words of his nemesis to reveal his undoubtedly truly shady intentions. Akane was under no such burden.
"Easy for you to say after I already chose you," the girl that had officially been given the final say pointed out. But with the warmth of the smile she wore as she looked at her personal pick of the litter called men, the remark didn't carry over very harshly.
Angered by his opponent's oh so obviously fake act of grandeur, Ryoga drew back his umbrella and redoubled his efforts to smash his adversary into a million tiny pieces. How could Ranma dare to ignore him just to pose in front of his girlfriend? Especially if that girlfriend happened to be a potential fiancée of Ryoga himself. Let's just ignore the fact that he had to win first and maybe ask for the girl's consent, shall we?
Soun Tendo for his part watched the fight with trepidation. It was obvious to him that Ryoga was a strong and sturdy fighter. Skilled and fearless, too. Any dojo would be more than happy to have him count amongst their numbers.
But against this spooky Ranma boy he stood no chance. Not with the obvious difference in experience between them. That boy seemed unimpressed by attacks that would have given Soun pause. And if nothing else Soun Tendo actually was a master of the art. This was one of the things in his life he had accomplished by himself. And to a remarkable degree if he was allowed to say so. True, as of late he might have slacked when it came to training but he still considered himself more than competent. Still he wasn't sure if he'd fare any better against the boy than Ryoga did. But if his life on the road and his friendship with Genma had taught him one thing then it was that two could prevail where one alone would fail. And ignoring the complaints of your conscience could save you from a lot of trouble. It had worked well enough against the master after all. And some of Ranma's techniques reminded him of no one else but him.
Suddenly the excuse that Soun needed to intervene showed itself as Ryoga started to shower his adversary in shuriken style bandanas that flew wide from the mark except for a few that Ranma actually had to deflect. Of those few one was headed towards Nabiki. Akane, warned beforehand of the projectiles danger, kicked the thing away from her sister and into the wall where it stuck harmlessly. Nonetheless this was all the justification Soun needed.
"You dare attacking my daughters?" he screamed in maybe too thickly applied rage. Then he jumped high into the air, a mighty kick aimed at the back of Ranma's head. The kick solidly connected. At least with Ryoga's foot that came from the other side. They both cried out in pain, though the fanged boy not as much. Mainly thanks to his sturdiness and his boots.
Ranma for his part was already on the ground and making sure that there had been no collateral damage.
After he found none he turned to Nabiki and simply asked for the time. The girl looked at her watch and with a slight grumble read out loud eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds. Then she reached into her pocked and handed Ranma some money. As the other girls looked on in confusion Nabiki just shrugged and told them she had a bet with Ranma about whether their father would take longer than ten minutes to start cheating or not. She was the one playing shogi with him from time to time. What else would she expect?
Meanwhile Ryoga was tending to Mr. Tendo and his aching foot.
"Ranma, how dare you let our host get hurt?!" he bellowed in his usual way of interpreting facts.
"Well, sorry for not falling for cheap shots," Ranma replied with a shrug as he returned to the designated fighting area. "Besides, those weren't my bandanas he got mad about. Ya might be a bit more careful with those if there's bystanders."
"Rrranmaaa..!" Ryoga growled and looked every bit as if he'd charge forward like a raging bull any moment. But Ranma raised a hand in a universal gesture for a timeout and addressed the man on the ground instead.
"How is it Mr. Tendo? Can ya still fight?"
Soun Tendo looked up at the pigtailed boy that stood before him as relaxed as if everything that happened up until now had been nothing but dance practice.
"Of cause I can," he replied in indignation and with uncharacteristic bravado, ignoring any pain he might be feeling at the moment.
"Good, then since ya already here how about ya team up with Ryoga? I don't mind a little handicap..."
"Well I do!" Ryoga protested. "I can take care of this by myself just fine."
"Now wait a moment Ryoga-kun," Soun Tendo demanded in a slightly whiny tone of voice. He had just been shown a golden opportunity and wasn't willing to let anyone's pride ruin this. "Let's not be hasty. If Ranma-kun thinks he can take on both of us then let us give him the chance to prove that he is more than just big words."
"But.. but.. two against one isn't fair!" the fanged boy insisted.
"It's not worse than jumping people from behind," Akane commented from the side-lines. With a saddened gaze towards her father she added "Come to think of it, in that aspect you two probably make a great team."
"You stay out of this!" Ryoga barked in her direction. He hadn't forgotten her kick to his stomach from earlier this morning and next to Ranma she wasn't exactly his favourite person right now.
"Oh, should I now?" Akane asked in feigned surprise and everyone that knew her instinctively took a step backward at the saccharine sweetness in her voice. Ryoga was the only one unphased.
"Yeah, little girls should stay out of a real fight," he declared as if to prove that anyone could catch the famous foot-in-mouth disease. "Go play with your barbie dolls or something."
Just as Akane was about to blow a fuse Ranma stepped into her field of vision.
"Come on Akane, you're a martial artist, too," he told her with a slight frown marring his features. "Ya can't just intervene in a fight. Ya know that."
"Yes. Of course I know that. It's just...arrrgh!" Once she let her frustration escape with an inarticulate scream she visibly deflated. "I hate macho jerks..."
It was a bit anticlimactic but Ranma started to chuckle, covering his mouth with a hand but unable to hide the mirth in his eyes.
"Soooorryy...!" he apologised as Akane looked at him quizzically. "It's just...usually, I'd be the... oh nevermind..."
He quickly got himself under control and addressed her more seriously,
"Listen, I know ya hate sitting out a fight like that, right? But watch this an' see how the ki's getting used. I promise I'm gonna teach ya any technique ya can point out correctly. Deal?"
Akane probably never had agreed to anything faster in her life. Not everyone was as excited as her, though.
"How dare you?!" A voice called out from behind Ranma. "The Master of the Anything-Goes-School of indiscriminate Grappling is still me! And Akane is still my student..."
"Well, then you better show her something good," Ranma remarked over his shoulder with his eyes still on the girl. With a wink in her direction he added "'Cause if ya do that maybe she'll wanna stay ya student."
"Why youu..." was Soun's battle-cry as he charged at that insolent child.
..
Ryoga Hibiki was, all things considered, an honourable person.
Sure, this morning his anger had gotten the better of him and he had assaulted Ranma with hardly any warning. That wasn't okay and he knew it even without that Tendo girl telling him. But he had finally met his adversary after an unbelievably tiring and troubled journey without warning and as a total surprise. So yes, he had acted harshly. But then again, that guy had deserved everything he got. After... after... aaaargh! Ryoga couldn't even think about it without a sense of rage.
And then he himself had for once the tiniest speck of luck in his troublesome life and a nice family offered him shelter. The master of the house treating him like an honoured guest, making him feel welcome and wanted. Something that soothed his poor weary heart to no end.
And then Fate decided to reveal the ploy it had been putting together all this time! Because who plagued that kind soul that had shown him such hospitality? Who was the evil shadow looming over this oasis of reprieve? Verily! No other than Ranma Saotome himself!
Ryoga didn't need incentive to take up arms in defence of all that was good and right in the world. But he admitted that being offered the position of heir to a dojo did sweeten the pot. As did the idea of a gi.. -hi-hi-hi… err, nevermind.
But back to the topic.
Ryoga Hibiki was basically an honourable person. So he did have some qualms with a two on one scenario even if Ranma didn't seem to mind. But after that guy even threatened to steal the kind sensei's student a line had been crossed.
And so when Soun Tendo charged that lout, Ryoga Hibiki stood by his side.
And bravely, like brothers, like father and son, they fought for their honour, their home and their country!
Oh well, maybe not for their country.
But for all the things their country stood for.
Besides tsunamis, manga and raw fish.
Well, something along those lines.
…
Soun Tendo was an amiable man.
He seldom got mad or agitated. He seldom had to. He was living a quiet live with his daughters in a spacious home and with secured financial means. He occasionally held classes even though he didn't have to. But that was expected of a Master of the Arts and he didn't want to give people a reason to doubt that he was one. Not that he had made that title up. Honestly, it was one of the few things about his personal history he was absolute frank about. But there were a few other skeletons in his closet that he would prefer not to make the acquaintance of his daughters or his fellow townspeople in general.
Now along came some kid that knew way too much for his own good and sowed discord in his family. The fact that it was easy to tell that this kid was a one in a million talent in the arts didn't really help either. It was way easier to put someone down a peg or two if you were actually able to do so. Bluffing alone seemed insufficient in this case either. And Soun wasn't sure what Genma had told the boy.
If he had told him THIS...
Or if the kid knew THAT...
And heaven forbid that Soun's daughters learned of...
NO!
Soun had a home and a reputation to protect. And if protecting this meant that someone desperately needed to have an accident...
Well, accidents happen, especially during a duel, didn't they? He just hoped that Genma would be able to forgive him one day for doing this to his son.
Well, to his heir, more precisely.
And if not?
As always, Soun Tendo would cross that bridge once he got there.
…
Two fighters charged Ranma. One with more and one with less lethal intentions. Both were seriously challenging opponents each in their own rights. Did that make victory impossible? Not for Ranma Saotome. It just made the margin for error particularly very slim. Slim enough to be virtually non-existent. It was a gamble the boy was no stranger to. He had learned his art by no way in a secure environment.
The reason he was here today was his stubborn habit of winning against impossible odds.
Well, that and some strange, ancient magic that had sent his consciousness across time.
But that last one had nothing to do with the fight at hand.
Ranma had the perfect technique to deal with his current situation. He wasn't sure if he could pull it off perfectly, as he hadn't trained his sixteen year old body quite to the point where he remembered using this first. Then again, physically he was stronger than back when he was seriously battling Happosai for the first time. It was more the control of hiskKi that bothered him.
Oh well, here goes nothing.
…
Akane Tendo had grown up as the youngest daughter of Soun and Kimiko Tendo.
Being the youngest of three sisters her parents had always doted on her. Especially her father had always paid a lot of attention to her since her talent started to show. He had trained and guided her until the day her mother died. After that he seemed to have lost his drive. Less and less did her father make an appearance in the dojo and more and more did Akane train by herself. A child left to her dreams of greatness and adventure and recognition.
Akane's talent was the real deal though. Even Soun, the few times he trained with her, couldn't ignore that. Not that this made him return to teach her what she needed to be taught in order to reach her goals. But it filled him with pride that his blood could produce even a girl so strong. If only she would bear him a male grandchild then the future of the dojo would be safe. Akane remembered the day when he had been stupid enough to mention something along that lines to her. The fallout had lasted for weeks and afterwards they had mostly ignored anything connected to that topic.
And ever since that day Akane had been unable to watch her father practice his art. So this was something of a rare view and therefore precious. She had to admit, he hadn't lost his touch. This much was obvious. His strikes were swift, strong and precise. He launched technique after technique each more elaborate than the last. He was a naster and no one that saw him right now would have dreamed to call that title a fake.
Now the other guy, that Hibiki fellow. He wasn't half bad either. Even if Akane didn't like him for his conduct she could find no fault in his skills. Ryoga was strong to the point of it being ridiculous and still far more mobile than your average power-type. He had good techniques too, though a bit of disregard for public safety when it came to thrown objects.
And the third combatant?
Well, if Akane hadn't fallen head over heels for Ranma Saotome already she would have done so right now. And fallen hard.
He was water.
He was wind.
He was shadow.
He seemed untouchable.
His elusiveness drove his opponents into the clutches of madness.
And then Akane saw it. The light sheen of the ki wafting around the combatants as it bled from their straining muscles. The air that got saturated from this by-product of the struggle glowing with the individual colours of the combatants like a tint across her vision.
An angry, pure red emitted from Ryoga Hibiki. A pale shadow of righteous anger and competitiveness.
Soun Tendo's colour was more an orange hue but dotted with yellow-greenish impurities and also a couple of darker spots that floated like smoke among the other colours. If ki was truly a mirror of the soul's focus then it was disconcerting to see her father sport such a jumbled assortment.
Ranma though, he was pure blue. The blue of the purest packed ice on the oldest glacier imaginable. And his movement mirrored that impression. He evaded his opponents like a skater on ice. Always moving, always circling, every flip or tumble just another flowing extension of his spiralling vision of a short program.
And then that unbelievable guy reached the apex of his dance and for the second time in her life Ranma Saotome showed Akane Tendo magic.
…
She was tired.
She was hungry.
And she was frustrated to no end.
Her she was, a proud hunter, famed for her skill in tracking down even a bird in flight.
And still her prey escaped her again and again as if he had vanished into thin air.
How did he do it? It always took her way too long to pick up his trail again. It helped that he stood out of a crowd and her people had a vast information network. And yet here she was, in a strange and antagonistic country, without allies or a clue where her prey had vanished to this time.
Hopelessness was knocking at her door and even the idea of giving up had her on quick-dial.
The girl started feeling like breaking down on her knees and have a good cry. Only the sheer stubbornness that had carried her through every other impossible trial still kept her going. But even stubbornness last only so far and right now she was running on the fumes.
But when the night is darkest, even a tiny star is a guiding light.
And what shone before her was not tiny at all.
A pillar of Chi rose up in the distance, like red and blue snakes in an ancient mating ritual. A strong wind, almost a storm, formed around the phenomenon and a thundering roar shook the neighbourhood.
She recognised the strangely localised twister for what it was. One of the sacred techniques of her people.
An Amazon was fighting there!
And strong opponents too!
Finally an ally!
And some enemies to vent her frustration on!
…
If one considered the spectacular and awe inspiring finale of the duel, the property damage was minimal in comparison. When the storm settled down, as well as the dust, there happened to be a couple of additional craters in the lawn where Ryoga and his umbrella had crashed down. Soun Tendo fared a little better as he had hit the roof first, luckily without breaking through, and then continued to tumble down into the koi pond from where he crawled out of with the last of his reserves.
Ranma was the last one standing, one fist still raised in his finishing gesture and his breathing ragged and laboured.
"Tell me you got this on film," Akane breathed towards her middle sister.
"I got this on film," Nabiki replied without her usual flair or price-tag. "Don't ask me though if it shows anything. Damn, I need a better camera."
Meanwhile Kasumi had made her way over to where her father was lying in a wet and battered heap on the ground. Standing before the head of her family she sighed despondently. There lay a person she had loved and supported since she could remember. And at the same moment there lay a man she obviously knew nothing about.
Absent-mindedly pushing one of the objects that had rained down in his vicinity she spoke in a deceptively quiet voice.
"What do you call this thing?" she asked her father.
Soun Tendo, wet, hurting all over and so very tired, answered her without emotion.
"That's a blackjack.."
"And this one?" Kasumi asked as she pointed at something that looked like interlocked rings.
"That's a knuckleduster," he replied.
Nodding her head Kasumi frowned as if in thought.
"Those are not nice things to carry, are they?" she asked as if checking a recipe with another housewife.
"No," Soun agreed tiredly, "I guess they're not..."
"I see," Kasumi said, nodding again. Then she simply turned around and walked back towards the house. Leaving her father as he was.
…
She ran as she saw the spiral rise for she knew that it would not last long.
Her feet propelled her across lawns and roofs, her legs fired up with renewed vigour. Faster, faster she egged herself on, knowing full well that the spectacle would be short-lived. Finally, as the twister dissolved and its victims came raining down, she saw the place where the battle had taken place.
It was a house, big by the standards of this strange land, complete with a garden and a yard.
As she closed in she saw several people milling around. Probably the combatants and the witnesses. Crawling closer the girl wondered who had fought and who had been the loser? And which of the girls there was the amazon? Then she saw her, the girl with the long black hair and the warrior's body. Executing the perfect "husband embrace" on a guy with a pigtail. That simply had to be her potential ally.
And then there was movement behind the pair and the pigtailed figure turned to look at the guy crawling out of a hole in the ground.
And Shampoo couldn't believe her luck.
There he was!
Her Airen!
…
"Whoa! Careful there!" Ranma called out as he stumbled from the impact of one Akane Tendo in full glomping mode.
"You were so great! This was simply brilliant!" he heard her blabber in excitement right next to his ear as she squeezed the life right out of him. "Please tell me that you are going to teach me that move!"
"A.. a.. air!" was his reply as he desperately fought to get some into his burning lungs. To his relief the restraint was lessened somewhat but breathing didn't become that much easier. For the girl began kissing him thoroughly and deeply until she too was out of breath.
"You really need to show me how you did that," she whispered to him as she came up for air herself. "And everything else you know..."
With one arm slipped under her buttocks to support her and the other one around her waist, Ranma leaned his forehead against hers and chuckled.
"Gee, aren't we greedy, huh?" he scolded her in a mocking but affectionate tone. Right then a sound like groaning filled the air and there was movement behind them as if an undead rose up from the grave.
"Oh, goody, seems like Ryoga is awake," Ranma remarked drily and turned to look at the fresh crater where the noise had originated from. The boy in question did look a little worse for wear but considering the circumstances, surprisingly unharmed.
"Damn, what did you hit me with?" he asked groggily as he dragged his carcass from the hole. "That's none of your usual tricks."
"Kinda a long story," Ranma replied. "It's an ancient Chinese art I picked up somewhere. Great for cooling off hot-headed guys, though. Say, ya look like shite, like seriously. Wanna go inside? I'm sure if ya ask nicely they're gonna let ya use the furo."
Looking up at his sworn adversary Ryoga for once didn't doubt the guy's intentions. As aggravating as Ranma happened to be on a regular basis, he also could be quite gracious once the victor of a fight had been decided. As long as the victor was Ranma, that is.
But looking up at the guy also meant looking at the frowning face of Akane Tendo, a.k.a the "Happiness" he, Ryoga, had declared to steal if he won the fight. Seeing the way she clung to his archenemy gave him a pretty accurate estimate of the type of hospitality he could expect from her.
"I don't think so," he thus replied as he turned his face away from her penetrating gaze, "I guess I overstayed my welcome here."
Then suddenly, the trio got startled by the sound of running feet closing in fast.
"Airen!" they heard and then a flash of purple and black came rushing their way.
As one, both boys jumped backwards with shock clearly visible in their eyes.
As one both screamed for hair-care.
"Shampoo?!"
…
Ranma wasn't exactly sure what shocked him more.
To see an old acquaintance he thought he'd successfully circumvented this time around show her pretty face again with a joyful battle-cry of impending matrimony?
Or to see the predatory gleam in her eyes as she calculated the perfect trajectory for a tackling jump directed at the other guy?
This actually brought him back to the time when she wore the reversal jewel and he, Ranma, got mad with the idea of regaining her interest that had unexpectedly gone up in smoke. One of his more immature episodes and pretty embarrassing in hindsight. Foresight? Damn it, headaches again...
Gripping Akane more tightly he decided to step aside from whatever drama would be unfolding. But Ryoga wouldn't let him get away that easily. Diving to the side he used the couple as a mobile cover between him and the newcomer.
"Not this again! How does she keep finding me?!" the fanged boy blabbered in hardly withheld terror. He kept mirroring the amazon warrior's moves as she tried to reach him this way or that.
"Actually, that's a pretty good question, considering ya usual shortcuts," Ranma agreed as he casually danced around to keep Akane out of harm's way.
"Is he honestly that bad?" Akane inquired, completely at ease in Ranma's arms.
"Let's just say that if he heads for Okinawa he'll return with Belgian Chocolate as a souvenir," her transportation replied with a smirk. "And a didgeridoo..."
"Oh would you shut up already and help me?" Ryoga hissed, a bit aggravated by Akane's sudden laugh and accompanying gaze in his direction.
"Help with what? Setting a wedding date?" Ranma inquired innocently as he turned in yet another circle. "Ya wouldn't have happen to take part in some tournament in China lately?"
Shampoo hadn't exactly been silent up until now but now she changed her tactics and grabbed Akane's arm, urgently trying to convey a message in a flood of Chinese phrases. Not that the girl so addressed suddenly understood the Chinese dialect of the Joketsuzoku. If anything she looked confused from Ranma to the amazon and back.
"What does she want from me? I don't understand a single word she's saying," the youngest Tendo complained under the barrage.
"She wants you to help her catch her husband," Ranma translated with a snicker. "She thinks that you're an amazon too. Because... you know... glomping is a way of life for them..."
"Oh... makes sense in a way," Akane commented with a wise nod, tightening her hold with her free appendages. Then her expression changed to surprise as she realized the implications, "You can even talk Chinese?"
"Not really," the boy replied. "It's more like I picked up a few phrases here and there."
"Then would you mind telling her to let go of my arm, please?"
"And tell her to stop chasing after me while you're at it," Ryoga added to the discussion.
"Ah well, let's see how it goes," Ranma amended, resigning himself to that task.
"You mighty warrior no touch master? Also stray boy not know law. He not think marry," he patched together in what he prayed was at least close to an intelligible sentence.
"Where did you learn our language? The shopping channel?" Shampoo replied in surprise and slightly curious when the unexpected half of the couple in front of her spoke in a sad parody of her proud mother tongue. "Anyway, could you at least get out of my way? I have a husband to catch!"
"He shy. Be many gentle or run away," Ranma tried again. "Must lure like catching small pig."
"Did you just call my future husband a pig?!" Shampoo inquired in an angry voice before she realized that he must have gotten the words wrong. Then she sighed and stopped her weird pole-dance with Ryoga. "I know, I know. This is getting us nowhere. It's just... aaaargh... this is so tiring! Can't he just get a grip and come home with me?"
"Can ask. Can nothing promise," came Ranma's reply before he turned towards Ryoga.
"She says she thinks you're the greatest guy alive and she wants to be your girlfriend," he presented as a résumé. "She's sorry if she came on too strong."
"Really?" Ryoga asked. His posture relaxed a bit but he still eyed the Chinese girl with suspicion. "Are you sure she didn't say something about getting revenge for their panda? You know how the Chinese are with their pandas..."
"A panda? That wouldn't happen to be a really big one? With a cardboard sign?" Ranma inquired as the telltale chill of Murphy's law crept up his spine.
"Err... yes?" came the reply as Ryoga's gaze started to dart between him and Shampoo. "How did you know?"
"Met him shortly when I was over there. Kinda stands out, doesn't he?"
It wasn't even a lie. After all Ranma had departed right after he and Genma had acquired their respective curses.
"What are you two talking about?" Shampoo inquired as she slowly got tired of being ignored.
"Few news," her challenged translator told her. "Husband fears anger for bamboo bear. He not know about love!"
"Seriously? He thought that I ran all this way because of an animal?" the amazon asked disbelievingly. "That wasn't even a real one! And even if it was, why would any sane person go this far for a stupid panda?"
"But you go big distance for guy over there?" Ranma inquired with a bit of doubt in his voice.
"Well, he's some prime piece of meat and ripe for the taking," Shampoo explained to him with a sparkle in her eyes and a feral grin spreading on her full lips. "I'm sure your wife knows exactly what I'm talking about."
"Oh wow, Ryoga!" Ranma translated more or less correctly. "Seems like she thinks you're a total hunk!"
…
"Okay, once more from the top. What exactly am I doing here?"
It was Ranma's voice that pierced the silence of the room, as hushed as it was.
"You're the only one that can speak Chinese. So as long as she is staying here, so are you."
Akane grunted in reply, getting into a more comfortable position.
"Why is she sleeping here anyway? You don't even know that girl."
"Well, you don't expect us to kick her out into the cold night, do you?"
"Nabiki might..."
That last remark went unanswered and for a moment there was silence in the darkness.
It was a short moment.
"Your dad won't like me staying here," Ranma remarked, without sounding terribly alarmed about that fact though.
"Dad isn't exactly the most popular person in the house right now. He'll stay on the down low for a while."
Akane's voice turned slightly sour at the mentioning of her sire, reason enough for Ranma to pull her a little closer and kiss her forehead.
"It's gonna be fine," he whispered to her as he nuzzled her head.
"Baka," she admonished him as she cuddled closer. "It already is fine."
Two feet further down and slightly to the side another urgent whisper cut through the pillow talk further up.
"Could you keep it down? You're gonna wake her up."
That was Ryoga's voice and he sounded a bit distressed.
"You keep it down, she's your girlfriend," Ranma whispered in the general direction of the sound.
"She's not my girlfr-aaa..." Ryoga's retort got interrupted by the rustling of fabric and a sleepy and definitely female voice mumbled something in Chinese.
"She says that 'cushions shouldn't make noise' or something like that. In case you're wondering."
"Seriously, could you just shut up?" the boy on the ground hissed so quietly that the pair on the bed had to strain their ears to make out his words.
"Hey, I'm only trying to be helpfu...hmpfff."
Ranma's witty reply got cut short in an agreeably enjoyable way. Akane left a finger on his lips after she came up for air again.
"Shampoo's got a point, you know? Cushions should be quiet,"
"Yes ma'am," he replied around the digit he lightly bit into. "Going back to work, ma'am."
It turned out to be a long night.
…
Breakfast at the Tendo's turned out a bit chaotic the next day. Instead of the age-old ritual that took part with the same actors and like clockwork every other day, suddenly there were more people trying to get their day started. And not all of them knew the local customs.
Suddenly girls kicked boys out of the bath. Boys fought boys for the last of the fish while girls tried to hold a conversation using hands and feet and, in one memorable moment of synchronicity, the stomping and clapping part of 'We will rock you'.
When the kids were fed and off to do whatever they had planned for the day Kasumi stood in a war-zone of dirty dishes and dislocated furniture. The young woman didn't seem to mind the state of the living-room. If anything she was humming softly as she began restoring the room to its former glory.
When had the house last been this full of life and laughter? She could hardly remember. But it did make her feel surprisingly comfortable. Like wearing an old sweater that you forgot about but suddenly found in the corner of your dresser.
Now if only her father could come to terms with the situation.
And come downstairs for breakfast.
…
Ranma and Akane ran as if an oni was after them. The reason being that the Saotome home wasn't exactly en route to the school and Ranma needed at least a change of clothes. When they reached their destination Ranma gave his mom a very quick rundown of last night's activities and left the details to Akane. The fact that not only Nodoka earned a kiss on the cheek was all the incentive the older woman needed to grill the younger girl for all the juicy titbits.
By the time Ranma came back down, and he honestly wasn't gone for long, the giggling of those two had already reached hysterical level. It's usually the second worst thing a guy wants to witness between his girl and his mom.
The worst being open bloodshed.
Considering that the giggling stopped at the moment he showed up and then again redoubled in intensity, it may be excused that Ranma made haste to get out of there.
Akane called out her goodbyes to Nodoka and ran straight after him. With a little spurt of speed that might as well had qualified them for the national championships in track and field, the both of them made it in time. Not necessarily just for the start of the first period but also to deal with a certain bunch of morons with a special case of learning disability.
The Hentai Horde stood in their usual spot, waiting for their 'Goddess' to show up and test their mettle. And if they could get rid of a certain pigtailed nuisance at the same time, all the better.
There was only one little problem with the plan. Of the 'biting off more than you can chew' variant. But as had been noted, learning was not exactly their strength.
After the first wave had been cleared the Level Boss made an appearance in the form of Tatewaki Kuno. He was spouting his usual nonsense and Akane was just about to kick him toward the heavens when Ranma stopped her.
"New lesson," he told her as the restraining hand on her shoulder loosened the grip and started to wander down her arm. "Remember how you overdid it with your Ki? We're going to do the same thing again. Only a bit less painful. Well, for us anyway." He directed her through a few motions, for all practical purposes glued to her as they moved in harmony. Then Akane felt something build up in her, a well besides that burning sensation wherever Ranma had contact with her body. Suddenly her arm was dragged back and the pushed forward in one fluid motion and the accumulated Ki or whatever it was flew from her hands forward towards the still posing and ranting Samurai wannabe.
At first the attack seemed to be without effect but then the Kuno boy raised his wooden sword to finally prepare his own attack and suddenly the rustling of his clothes turned into a fluttering of pieces of textiles. It was a bit like sakura watching. With Tatewaki as the tree.
In the end he stood there with nothing but his boxers and his shoes for garment and the shredded remains of his other clothes at his feet.
"Now it's official," Akane deadpanned towards Ranma. "You're a pervert."
"That... wasn't supposed to happen…" the so accused boy replied with honest surprise clearly evident in his voice. "Kinda cute though, dontcha think?"
As Kuno screamed in embarrassment, eyes wide, head red as a tomato and his bokken-wielding hands trying to desperately cover his torso like a maiden that had been surprised under the shower, both boy and girl broke out in laughter. They didn't stop until first period started and even then the occasional giggle was hard to suppress.
Most of the other students that had been witness to the incident didn't fare much better.
...
When Kasumi was done in the kitchen and prepared to go shopping she heard a strange commotion in the yard. As she looked outside she witnessed Ryoga go through a series of katas.
He had discarded his shirt and the sweat was glistening on his chiselled body. He flowed through the motions fluidly, powerfully and with an intense masculinity that played havoc with several of her more primal instincts. Suddenly Kasumi felt a tap at her leg and looking down she saw that Chinese girl, Xian-pu, grinning at her and making a gesture that pantomimed the reattachment of a yaw to a face.
With an audible gulp Kasumi closed her mouth and fixed her habitual smile back in its place.
Frantically looking for something to cover up her slip in demeanour, she called out to the boy training in the yard.
"Ryoga-kun, I'll be out shopping for an hour or two. Would you watch the house in the meantime? Father hasn't come down yet."
"Sure thing Tendo-san," Ryoga replied and used the interruption to get something to drink. Leaning back to let the water run down his throat he looked like a still out of some commercial aimed at the middle-aged lady.
Seeing that, Kasumi gulped once more, turned and ran to get ready for her shopping-trip.
But first to the bath.
And quick!
...
It wasn't as if they had planned it but when lunch break came Ranma and Akane didn't find themselves on the rooftop again but in the yard. Akane had deemed it necessary to bring her old friends Yuka and Sayuri along to introduce them to her boyfriend and future spouse. Ranma, for reasons of equality and to keep the girls civil (Ever been the lone new boyfriend in a group of girls?), also brought two old friends. At least from his viewpoint. Those were Hiroshi and Daisukem of course. Those two had tried to be friendly towards him, whether because of his girl-side or his connection to Akane Tendo wasn't exactly clear. And they happily followed up on that unexpected invitation. Hey man, girls man! Yay!
The six of them had just gotten comfortable under a tree when Ranma suddenly jumped up and headed for a couple of bushes near their spot. There was some rustling and then Ranma dragged out another boy. That kid was scrawny, with shaggy hair and dark rings around the eyes.
"C'mon Gos'," they heard him address their classmate Hikaru Gosunkugi. "If ya curious, then why don't ya sit with us? We don't bite."
"But... err... I wouldn't… want to intrude?" the so suddenly-invited social outcast hazarded.
"Listen Gos', I'm not trying to trick ya, okay?" Ranma placated the obviously nervous guy. "This is just an invite for some lunch with ya classmates. So watcha say? Hungry?"
Hikaru looked at Ranma in wide-eyed wonderment. An expression made even more expressive by the dark circles making him faintly appear like a starved raccoon. But then he nodded. Unexpectedly for him he had been given a chance to get closer to the living proof that magic truly existed. And Akane Tendo. A chance to eat lunch in the presence of Akane Tendo!
Muahahahaha...!
Akane!
Wihihihihi!
Tendo!
Huhuhuhuhu!
"Okay, just come over when ya good and ready, okay?" Ranma told the figure writhing on the ground with foam forming on his lips. "But wipe ya mouth first or people gonna stare..."
...
"What was that about?" Hiroshi asked when Ranma returned to the group.
"Just thought he might be lonely sitting all by himself," the returning boy explained. "He was looking over here kinda like he wanted something so I figured I might as well invite him. Ya guys don't mind, dontcha?"
He looked around the group as if the thought had even just occurred to him. The other two boys just shrugged, not feeling intimidated by that scrawny kid. Yuka and Sayuri looked a bit more uncomfortable. They were not intimidated either but the guy in question was a bit creepy with his fixation on the occult and his cameras.
As if feeling their doubts Ranma grinned and leaned a little closer to them.
"He's pretty skilled with fortune-telling and charms. Or so I heard," he told them in a conspirational voice.
"Maybe wanna consult him before ya aim for the next guy?" he added with a wink towards Sayuri. "A heads up would have been nice the last time, no?"
Both girls grunted as a reply to his last remark, but both looked over at Gosunkugi's slowly recovering form with a new and calculating look on their faces.
"Well, on ta more important things," Ranma exclaimed, clapping his hands and then rubbing them in anticipation. "What's for lunch?"
…
"So you and Gosunkugi-kun," Akane asked as they were walking home. "Have you been friends back then?"
"Something like that," Ranma agreed, shrugging as he remembered a past yet to come. "Though we only got closer around the last year of high school. He turned out to be a pretty great guy once he got past his crush on you."
Akane looked on in surprise at the comment.
"He has a crush on me?" she inquired as she tried to imagine that pale guy as a person with romantic interests.
"Who doesn't?" Ranma simply stated, only to continue with an air of superiority. "Too bad for him that ya already head over heels in love with me."
Akane graced him with a lopsided grin, nudging her elbow into his side in a playful way.
"Good thing you're such a modest guy. Or I would have to stop showering you with affection to keep your head from inflating to grotesque proportions."
"Yep. Modesty is practically my middle name," Ranma agreed with a nod that suggested great wisdom. "Ya can love me to ya heart's content with no risk of ever spoiling me whatsoever."
Akane chuckled softly, putting her arm around the boy walking by her side.
"We'll see about that," she promised him as they headed towards home and another promised trainings lesson. "Now all I need is someone willing to shower me with affection."
Ranma grunted in reply, looking down at her with a mocking glare.
"Got anyone in mind for that?" he finally asked her in a voice that suggested that he already knew the answer himself.
"Maybe," Akane replied cryptically as she matched his gaze in intensity. "I'm just not so sure about that guy's qualification."
By now they had stopped walking because even for them with their reflexes and everything it was bad politics to walk around blind to the rest of the world.
"I love ya," Ranma stated and it was as much a simple fact as a promise for the future. "Will that do?"
"Congrats," Akane responded, hard at work to get used to the concept of these few words but finding it was a worthwhile task. "You got the job."
"Lucky me," Ranma said and lowered his head.
"Yep, lucky you," Akane agreed and rose up on her toes.
It wasn't their first stop on the short way home.
It probably wouldn't be their last either.
...
When the pair finally made their way back to the Tendo residence they decided that at least once that week they should do their homework. They sat down in the living-room where Kasumi served them some light snacks and tea as they worked their way through the chores.
They actually were not the only ones working on their education. At the other end of the table Ryoga was a blushing, stammering wreck trying to teach Shampoo the Japanese language.
The girl listened intently and with the most charming of smiles on her lips. But alas, she mostly seemed to understand "scuttle closer", "touch me" and "try to kiss me".
These sad misunderstandings lead to more stammering and blushing on Ryoga's part. And quite some giggling from the other inhabitants of the room.
"Would you stop that?" Ryouga finally complained, mainly at Ranma. "I'm trying to teach here!"
The boy thus scolded took a deep breath, obviously trying to swallow the first snappy remark that came to mind.
"I could help you with the language barrier if ya want," he finally offered after some inner struggle. Ryoga obviously didn't really appreciate that offer.
"Hands off," he declared quite heatedly. "You already have a girlfriend."
Ranma raised his hands open and in a placating gesture. "Cool it man, Just offering to help, okay? It's nice though that you're warming up to Xian-pu."
Hearing her name, the Chinese girl looked questioningly across the table.
"What about me?" she inquired in her native language.
"Saying him he has hots for new wife," Ranma replied to the best of his abilities.
"Well he better," Xian-pu snorted in reply. "I'd really feel like a stupid bimbo if all my hard work turned out to be in vain."
"What did she say?" Ryoga inquired in turn, suddenly forgetting that he supposedly didn't need a translator.
"She said she's not switching guys." Ranma lied through his teeth in a sudden bout of inspiration. "I make a good second place though."
That made Ryoga's eyes light up like a Christmas tree. Ranma? Second place?
"Hah! Damn right she won't switch!" he exclaimed in a voice that came dangerously close to a manic laugh. He pushed out his chest in pride and possessively pulled the girl by his side closer with a strong arm. The girl was positively surprised by that gesture and cast another questioning glance at Ranma.
Sadly that boy was already turning sideways and casting a sad look at the girl seated there.
"Darn, seems I'm stuck with you," he told her in fake dejection. Akane didn't even look up from her homework.
"Keep that up and you're sleeping on the floor tonight," she simply told him. She wore a smile though that couldn't completely be hidden by her bowed head.
...
Dinner once again was served without Soun Tendo making an appearance. If anyone was worried about that fact then no one commented on it. Not even Nabiki.
There was a lot of chatting going on instead. Or in the case of Xian-pu, gesticulating. That girl had somehow managed to worm her way into the kitchen and actually help Kasumi with the cooking and serving. Thanks to that the eldest girl was for once able to take part in the meal and in the conversation. All in all there was a pretty good vibe going on.
Once even the most bottomless stomach was filled, and both boys made it a point to apply for that title, everyone helped clean up for once. And that included Nabiki, much to her own surprise. Sometimes you just get pulled along by the mood, it seemed.
As people got ready to spend the evening this way or that, Ranma and Akane excused themselves and went to the dojo for a bit of training.
Now this was when Nabiki's usual habits resurfaced and her snide remarks made the couple blush heavily and forced them into a hurried retreat.
"Ya gotta hand it to her," Ranma remarked when the pair was finally alone and safe in the dojo. "She knows exactly where it hurts."
"No kidding," Akane agreed, her face still flushed and images of what her middle sister had suggested dancing tauntingly in front of her mind's eye. But her inner cinema got soon interrupted by the soft chuckle of her companion.
"C'mon, let's get it on. Time's ticking."
Akane nodded in agreement, knowing that he had a point.
"Alright," she said and tuned her mind to training mode. "Show me how it's done, sensei."
...
They trained in earnest for the next two hours. It obviously forced more sweat out of Akane than Ranma, much to her chagrin. But even with the obvious difference in skill and stamina the girl enjoyed every moment of it. She had learned more in her few sessions with the cursed boy than she had in the last few years. The things he taught her were part mundane and part exotic to the point of esoteric.
Using your Ki for strengthening?
Using it even as a ranged attack?
Not that she was able to do that on her own but the occurrence with Kuno this morning was a clear indicator that this was no mere fantasy.
And he said you could even use it for sneaking around in some sort of stealth mode.
These were things that usually belonged into fiction and games. And yet here she was, learning the basics of just that.
One thing that Ranma never got tired of enforcing though was control. Control over her emotions, mostly. He insisted that no matter how strong the urge, letting anger rule her actions led to the dark side. And in a non-'George Lucas' way.
It was quite the simple philosophy.
You lose your temper, you lose the fight.
Timing was everything and it was quite impossible to bother with timing once you were going berserk.
That was one of the reasons why the real Anything Goes School relied so heavily on insulting your opponent. If the enemy lost it then you, as the opponent, won. Easy as that.
It was a bit of a let-down for Akane to hear something like that about her beloved School of Martial Arts. But Ranma was obviously not joking and he demonstrated his point with a few choice words that made her fumble through a simple kata that she otherwise could do in her sleep. He had the good grace to hug her after that daunting experience. Which was a good thingm because otherwise he would actually have been forced to sleep on the floor.
Tired, sweaty and mentally exhausted Akane held on to Ranma as if he was the only thing keeping her afloat in an ocean of insecurities.
"Come with me," she suddenly whispered, surprised how coarse her own voice sounded.
Ranma looked at her quizzically as she took his hand and slowly led him to the far end of the dojo, walking backwards. But he didn't argue and he didn't resist. When they reached the wall her hands searched for the handle of the sliding door of the equipment compartment. There wasn't much stored in there, just a couple of shinai, some training dummies and a stack of tatami mats.
And solitude.
This was by all accounts the single less visited room in the whole residence.
And Ranma willingly followed Akane into the darkness inside.
…
End Chapter 7
